When you take over an allotment, it’s quite possible that you will inherit a tangled jungle that you’ll have to clear before you can plant your crops. Here are a few suggestions that will help tame your wild allotment and keep it under control.

Starting out

The sight of a tangle of weeds can be daunting, but don’t be tempted to cut them down or use a rotivator. Cutting them down will only encourage re-growth while the use of a rotivator will disturb the soil - bringing dormant seeds to the surface and helping them to germinate. By cutting the roots of weeds into pieces, each of which, particularly in the case of couch, will produce a new weed. It is far better to remove the weeds by hand, a task made easier if the soil is moist.

With the largest weeds removed, you should lay thick, black plastic sheets or sheets of cardboard over the ground and place weights on top to keep them down; you will need to leave them in place for several months. The lack of light will kill live weeds while the increased heat will encourage the seeds to germinate and die.

After a few months, you can move the sheets to another area and dig the newly uncovered patch, making sure to remove any roots that you find. This is a good time to add fertiliser and compost.

A good first crop for recently cleared ground is potatoes because they have a dense, wide canopy that will help suppress weeds.

Weeds

Regular weeding is crucial to the success of your allotment. There are several tricks to keeping the weeds down without sprays, and with minimum effort:

  • Leave the ground alone – your soil will always be full of weed seeds. Fortunately, only those near the surface (the top few centimetres) will germinate, so refrain from unnecessary digging to avoid bringing deeper seeds to the surface.
  • Timing – when the ground is wet, use a fork to get weeds out by the roots. If the ground is dry, use a hoe to slice weeds off just below the surface.
  • Remove weed flowers – cut off the heads and flowers of weeds to prevent them turning to seed. This will also place the weeds under stress and limit their growth.
  • Choke weeds out – close planting of your crops will help to choke weeds out. Heavy foliaged crops will also block the light, so inhibiting weed growth.
  • Mulch – applying mulch will block light from weeds while keeping the soil cool and moist for the benefit of your crops. You must, however, replenish your mulch regularly, keeping it thick enough (say five centimetres) to be effective. It’s useful to lay down cardboard or a thick layer of newspaper before adding the mulch.

Pests

Birds, insects and other creatures can take a huge toll on allotment crops:

Rats

A particular problem in winter, rats will devour root crops like carrots and parsnips and any food that might be around. They’ll take up residence in your shed, in the compost heap, under untrimmed bushes and under wood piles. They are hard to control. Traps will help but you should avoid poisons as they are inhumane. The rat problem will be reduced once your allotment has been tidied up and the rubbish removed.

Mice

Like rats, mice are more of a nuisance in winter and early spring. They will ravage large seeds like peas and beans, but you can limit the damage by waiting till the peas and beans have come on and the seed has begun to rot away before planting outside. Again, like rats, traps and keeping your allotment tidy and clean will help control mice.

Rabbits

Almost impossible to stop, rabbits will attack a variety of crops. You can deter rabbits by blocking off warrens under sheds and in bushes, and by removing thick undergrowth where rabbits like to establish warrens. A chicken wire fence around susceptible crops will offer only limited protection.

Birds

Birds can be very destructive, pigeons being among the worst. They are particularly devastating on brassicas and peas and berry fruits. Birds don’t like noise or shiny and reflective surfaces. You can frighten birds away with pinwheels, shiny tape or old CDs dangling from strings, but you’ll need to move them regularly because birds will get used to them. Remember, however, that birds are also useful for eating harmful insects and bugs.

Bugs

You can expect to be invaded by a manner of bugs. You can, of course, use spray to control them but natural methods are also effective and less harmful. Marigolds, for example, repel aphids, thrips and even rabbits, while nasturtiums will repel Colorado potato beetles while attracting blackfly away from adjacent plants. Herbs, like basil, sage and oleander are also effective at repelling a variety of harmful bugs.

People

Your allotment offers tempting prizes for potential thieves, who will not only happily steal the product you have worked hard to cultivate, but also your valuable tools. Take care to reduce risks by joining with other allotment holders to keep an eye out for strangers and unusual behaviour. Also make sure your shed has a good lock and take your most expensive equipment home with you.

Other points to consider

If your allotment does not have a shed, then you should get one as soon as possible. A shed has many functions – storage for tools and garden supplies, a shelter if the weather turns as well as a place to enjoy a rest. It’s also a good place to plan: your work schedule, crops and crop rotation and layout.

Discover more top tips for your garden